Flow-control fitting



Oct. 29, 1929. J. BIJUR FLOW CONTROL FITTING Original Filed Aug. 9. 1922INVENTOR Jose 07v Patented Oct. 22, 1829 i enter or JOSEPH IBIJUB, OFNEW YORK, N. Y.,' ASSIGNOE T0 AUTO RESEARCH CORI'ORATION, A

' COREGRATION OF DELAWARE FLOW-CONTROL FITTING I Original applicationfiled August 9, 1922, Serial No.

My present invention relates primarily to chassis lubrication-and ismore especially concerned with flow control devices of the general typedisclosed in my issued Patent No. 1,632,772 of June 14-, 1927, and knownas drip plugs.

While the drip plugs of my present invention are of general applicationto various distributing systems of the generic type disclosed in myissued patent, they have particular utility in the specific type of suchsystems where it becomes desirable or important to construct the leakpreventing drip plug check valves in such manner as to avoid thecounterpressure of even a weak check valvespring.

According to the present invention, I employ instead of a spring-seatedcheck valve as disclosed in by issued patent, a loose or free floatingvalve so lightas to open under little pressure. The movement of suchvalve, away from its seat is limited by appropriate stop means, so as toassure the return and seating thereof due to the slight tension oflubricant tending to leak out elsewhere in the system, therebyinhibiting such leaka e.

For satisfactory operation of the valves of the character set forth, itis important to exclude dirt therefrom, not only after the drip plug isinstalled, but throughout the prior handling thereof, beforeinstallation. The entry of dirt through the inlet end of the drip plugis prevented by a strainer thereat. The valve is preferably betweensaid,

strainer and the flow restriction, the latter excluding dirt from theoutlet end of the drip plug. In this constructi n, the valve is thusalso completely GIlClOSCt and protected from mechanical injury.

According to another feature, the flow restriction of the drip plug isso related to the loose valve, that viscous oil is maintained at andadjacent the latter, which would facilitate valve closure under theslight suction thereon. The volume of oil adjacent the valve would,moreover, prevent the entry of air and leak of oil from the system,inasmuch as substantially all of such oil would have to be drawn pastthe valve before such failure of operation could occur.

580,668. Divided and this application filed June 5,

Serial No. 282,960.

While the flow restriction may be of any of thenumerous alternativeconstructions shown 1n my 580,668, filed ugust 9th, 1922, of which thisis a division, I have illustratively shown two the entry of air.

Claims specific to the embodiment of Fig 2 are presented in mydivisional application, Serial No. 398158 filed October 8, 1929.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown one or more of variouspossible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a vehicleshowing the piping system andlocation of typical bearings thereof, I

' Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal cross-section showing one embodimentof drip plug construction, and

3 Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing another embodiment of'dripplug.

In Fig; 1 of the drawings is shown diagrannnatically the general layoutof the chassis of anautomobile, equipped with a lubricant supply unit S,illustratively at the dashboard, serving to force lubricant into thehead of a distributing system which includes headers c and 03, whichcommunicate at their ends with two mains m, that extend the length ofthe channel framesand feed arent application, Serial No.'

various bearings, at or near which the drip plug terminals 25 areapplied. Bridging con duits (not shown) are provided, leading to 1distributing piping on the axles, and supplying similar drip plugs at ornear the bearings thereof (not shown).

In Fig. 2 I have shown a drip plug em- 1 bodying a vertical tube 10 openat both ends and having an integral lateral nipple 11 by which it isaflixed to the bearing, preferably in vertical position. The tube has anintegral ledge or shoulder 12 therein near the upper end thereof, uponwhich rests the outturned flange 13 of a sleeve l4extending downwardtherefrom, affording substantial clearance thereabout with respect tothe inner Wall of the fitting and extending substantially below the boreof the nipple 11. The lower end of the fitting is closed by a plug 15.

Upon the flange 12 rests the periphery of a bowl-shaped membrane 16 ofparchment, calf-skin or a similar high resistance porous material, saidmembrane being bowed outward into the tube and affording a highresistance to flow. At the concave side of the membrane is disposed afloat-ing valve illustratively a flap valve which comprises a disk 18 ofa limber material, such as leather or of thin spring steel, having astruck-out tongue 17 adapted to flex out of the )lane of the disk intothe cavity determined by the bowl-shaped membrane. An inlet plug 19axially perforated at 20 afl'ords'a seat at its inner end for the flapvalve 17 and serves to clamp the periphery 18 of the flap valve, theperiphery of the membrane 16 and flange 13 of the sleeve 14 securelyagainst the flange 12 and thus to complete the assembly.

In Fig. 3 is shown another drip plug construction, in which therestriction is illustratively shown as a compacted plug 16 of felt,cotton or the like, disposed directly within the bore of a cartridge 10similar to that of Fig. 2. The restriction lug is compressed in placewithin the cartridge between an inlet plug 19 and a nut 25 provided withan integral depending sleeve 14 extending downward below the bore ofnipple 11 to form an oil seal as in the embodiment of Fig. 2. Aperforated disk 26 is interposed between the felt restriction mass 16and the nut- 25, through which pressure is evenly ap-' plied to therestriction mass, forcin it against a projecting flange 27 on the inletplug 19, the felt mass bulging under the pressure into the depressionwithin the flange 27, to press a disk non-return valve 17 thereinagainst its seat 28 within the counterbored end of the inlet plug 19.Preferably the outer face of the inlet plug 19"is provided with astrainer plug 29 of felt, serving to intercept any solid particlescarried with the oil, which might otherwise become lodged 'at and impairthe seating effectiveness of the valve or ultimately clog the felt plugrestriction.

Obviously, the strainer 29 ma be provided in identical relation and fort e same purpose in a corresponding socket in the inlet plug 19 of theembodiment of Fig. 2.

In the operation. of the system of Fig. 1 equipped with drip plugs tsuch as those of Fig. 2 or Fig.3, lubricant will readily unseat thefloating check or non-return valves 17, 17, to allow emission to thebearings at the rates imposed by the corresponding restriction members16,16.

After pressure on the pipe line has been discontinued, the tension oflubricant tending to leak from the piping exerts suction to close thelight non-return valves 17, 17, of those drip plugs governing the flowto bearings at higher level, thereby excluding air from the system at.that region and thus functioning to inhibit emission or leakas long asthe pressure source is out of operation.

The restrictions 16, 16, being beyond the corresponding non-returnvalves, they retain oil in engagement therewith after the system hasceased feeding, so that the suction due to the lubricant in the pipebranches leading to bearings at lower level has first to pull such oilthrough the crevice" between the valves 17 17 and the correspondingseats, a slow operation even with a defective valve,bct'ore air can gothrough. Oil helps seal the loose floating valve and in fact, insuresits beingpulled to its seat. Being viscous, oil resists being drawnthrough the crack by the very light force available.

Since a valve of leather or other limber material might droop so faraway from the seat as to be urged away from, rather than towards itsseat by the suction flow described, 9

it is important to provide means to limit the valve deflection. This isaccomplished in the specific embodiment shown by the engagement of thevalves with the restriction members 16, 16.

The valve being disposed within the drip plug, between the strainer 29at one end, and the restriction member 16, 16 at the other, is not onlyprotected from mechanical injury, but is guarded from derangement by theentry of dirt thereto, either through the inlet or the outlet end of thedrip plug. Thus, the drip plug may be handled in usual course prior toinstallation in the lubricating system,'without danger of a particle ofdirt settling between the valve and its seat. In service, the strainerkeeps any dirt carried with the oil, away from the valve and the restriction hinders the entry of dirt from a bearing to the valve.

In the specific constructions shown, the restriction or obstruction 16,16, thus performs no less than five useful functions. In addition togoverning the rate of emission under a given pressure, the restrictionelement also protects the valve from mechanical injury, it excludesforeign particles from the valve, it affords a dam to maintain a body ofoil adjacent the valve to assist valve closure and exclude air, and itlimits the deflection of the valve from its seat 1 I claim:

1. A drip plug comprising a fitting piece having one part adapted forapplication to a bearing and another part adapted for coupling of a pipeterminal thereto, said fitting cant.

2. A drip plug comprising a fitting having one part adapted forapplication at a bear;

ing and another part for coupling a feed pipe terminal thereto, a loosecheck valve within said drip plug said valve being so light as to closeby return flow of lubricant, and means protecting said valve, said meansincluding a strainer at the inlet side of said drip plug contiguoustosaid valve and a valve protective obstruction at the outlet side ofsaid valve.

3. A drip plug comprising a pipe fitting element having'a controlobstruction and a loosevalve therein, said valve being so light as toclose by return flow of lubricant, and means for retaining a bodyot'lubricant adjacent said valve at the outlet side thereof, in order tohinder the entry of air to the valve.

4. A drip plug comprising a pipe fitting element having a loose lightdisk valve therein, and means for retaining a body of lubricant adjacentsaid valve at the outlet side thereof, thereby to hinder the entry ofair to the valve, said latter means affording a pressure absorbingcontrol for retarding emission when pressure is applied to the drip lu5. A drip plug comprisin a fittinghaving a nipple adapted to be app iedat a bearing,

, and having flow restriction means therein, a

valve seat in said fitting at the side of said restriction from whichlubricant is supplied,

a disk valve loosely lodged between said seat and-said restriction,said'restriction substan tially preventing the draining of lubricantfrom the space adjacent said valve, thereby to afford a body oflubricant for facilitating the seating of the valve. i

6. A drip plug comprising a fitting having a part for coupling a feedpipe terminal thereto, a loose check valve within said drip plug solight as to close by return flow of lubricant, and means protecting saidvalve, said means including a strainer at the inlet side of said dripplug and a flow. emitting restriction at the outlet side of said valve.1

7. A drip plug comprising a fitting having a nipple adapted forapplicationto a bearing' and a part adapted for coupling of a feed pipeterminal thereto, a loose check valve within said fitting, so light asto close by return flow of lubricant, a strainer guarding said valvefrom the entry of dirt through the inletend, ,and'a fiow controllingrestriction member at the outlet side of said valve, serving also tohinder passage of dirt to the valve from the outlet.

8. A drip plug comprising a fitting, having a flow controllingobstruction therein, a fiat non-return valve in one end of said fitting,a' metal element plugged in said fitting, means near the inner endthereof to afiord a seat for said valve and to limit lateral shifting ofsaid valve, and means limiting the movement of said valve from its seatand affording an oil exit.

' 9. A drip plug comprising a composite fitting including two elementsthreaded together to form a unitary assembly and including a flowcontrol obstruction, said fitting presenting a valve'seat at the innerend of one of said elements, a suction seated valve near said seat,means in said fitting to limit lateral shifting of said valve, and meansto limit the displacement of said valve from its seat, and to ailord anoil exit. 7 10. A drip plug comprising a fitting piece having a valveseat therein, a loose check valve associated therewith, and flowrestriction means in said fitting, contiguous to said valve and limitingthe movement of the lat periphery near one end of one of said ele--ments, anda fiow obstructionin the other element serving also to protectsaid valve.

13. A drip plug comprising a pipe fitting having a part adapted to beapplied to a bearing, and a part adapted for application of a pipeterminal thereto, said fitting having a flow restriction and a suctionseated check valve therein, and a closure piece re-- "taining saidvalvein place within said fitting.

14. in a drip plug a fitting including a part adapted for application ofa pipe terminal thereto, said fitting including a valve seat with itsface directed away from said inlet terminal, a floating valve and abacking member both having a circular periphery, said fitting includiiigmeans to retain the peripheries of said valve and said backingmembernear said seat, said backing member affording a limited pathotdeflection for the opening movement of said valve.

15. A drip plug comprising a fitting hav ing a nipple for application ata bearing, 3

a flow restriction in said fitting, a metal member threaded into asocket at the inlet end of said fitting, a light valve loosely lodged ina corresponding depression in the end of said member, means limiting themovementof said valve from its seat, said restriction being near saidvalve, thereby to afford a body of lubricant adjacent said'valve, forfacilitating the Stliltlllg of the latter by slow reverse flow of 16.'-Adrip plug comprising a fitting having a nipple for application at abearing, flow restriction means in said fitting, a metal elementthreaded into a socket at the inlet of said fitting, a disk valveloosely lodged in a correspondi'ngcounterbore in the inner end of saidelement, means limiting the movement of said valve, said valve bein-g solight as to close by return flow of lubricant, and a strainer carried insaid threaded element to protect said valve and said restriction fromderangement by solid particles carried with the lubricant.

17. A drip plug comprising a fitting provided with a nipple forapplication to a bearing and a flow restriction in said fitting, a metalelement threaded into a socket at the inlet end of said fitting, afloating check valve loosely lodged in acorresponding depression at theinner end of said element, means limitin the movement of said valve,said valve belng so light as to become seated against the end of saidelement by return fiow of lubricant. a

y 18. In a drip plug restriction fitting, a non-return valveconstruction comprising a metal element counterbored at the inner endthereof, to afford a valve seat, a disk valve loosely lodged in saidcounterbored portion,

and holding means contacting the periphery of said counterbored end andhaving a part projecting centrally to limit the movement of said valvewith respect to its seat.

19. In a drip plug a fitting having a nip ple for application at abearing, a complementary part having a threaded connection thereto, saidcomplementary part having a short axial bore theret-hrough, the innerend of said complementary art constituting a valve seat, a strainer at t1e inlet end of said bore, a loose valve coacting-with said seat, meanslimiting lateral shifting of said valve and means limiting thedeflection of the central part of said valve away from said seat.

20. A drip plug including an outlet part adapted to be applied to abearing and a part to which a pipe terminal is adapted to be affixed, anobstruction in said fitting, of controlling resistance to flow and anoil trap member, between said restriction and said 'outlet part.

21. As an element in a lubricating system, in combination, a pipefitting having a flow obstruction across the bore thereof and a liquidseal structure between said restriction and the outlet from saidfitting, trapping lubricant to seal the fitting against entry of air.

'22. A drip plug comprising a fitting having a mounting nipple, adaptedto be applied to abearing and a part to which a pipe terminal is adaptedto be fixed, an obstruction in said fitting of substantially fixedinvariant resistance to flow, said fitting including an insert affordingan oil trap between the restric- I tion and the mounting nipple.

23. A drip plug comprising a fitting having a compressible plug offibrous material therein, serving as a flow restriction, means threadedinto said fitting from opposite ends thereof, and exerting compressionagainst the opposite ends of said restriction, and a loose flow-returnvalve in the drip plug at the inlet end of said fitting.

2 1, ,As an article of manufacture, a drip plug including a flowobstruction and aloose valve imposing substantially no resistance toemission underpressure on the system and adapted to close under returnimpulse, to inhibit reverse flow.

Signed at New York city in the county of New York and State of New Yorkthis 25th day of May, A. D. 1928.

JOSEPH BIJ UR.

